I just had a farmer call me and ask me if I could get rid of a turkey for him. I told him the season is over but whats going on. He told me that he has a turkey pulling up his tobacco plants. I couldnt help but laugh because I've never heard of such a thing happening before. I told him to just reset it because it was probably just a fluke thing that happened. He told me that has done reset it 5 times and the "beep beep" bird keeps pulling them up. At this time Im laughing so hard Im crying because he is pissed at this bird. He said it keeps pulling up two rows and about 50 yds long. I guess I will find a way to scare the bird off but while Im doing that I will be seeing how many more turkeys are out there. Who knows I might have found a new place to hunt this fall and next spring. All because of a tobacco chewing turkey.

It's a scientific fact that turkeys that inhabit tobacco growing areas not only eat the bugs but the tips of the tobacco leaves themselves. According to the study conducted at North Carolina State the ingestion of nicotine and other tobacco oil residue had a noticeable effect on the birds observed. The report I read stated that these birds tended to average less in weight and appeared to eat faster but less than turkeys from other regions. Heavy feeding after breeding was noted as well.

They showed signs of nervousness and became more aggressive towards each other immediately after tobacco crops had been harvested and showed "withdrawal" type symptons. One section mentioned gobblers fighting hens which is almost unheard of in other areas. The normally light color of the meat was also darker and streaked in a number of cases and the normally white features in the wings was more of a brown shade of color.

One biologist stated that the gobbling from the birds in the area of his study had a distinctive hack mixed into the gobble. Another noted that many of the older birds appeared to drool or slobber on themselves similar to cattle.

Just wanted to share this interesting and useful info since ya'll were on the subject

I read that turkeys are drawn to tobacco especially after breeding hens and after a good meal. Jakes are know to hang out together in tobacco fields trying to look tough and mature to older birds.

There doesn't seem to be much truth to the rumor about turkeys beards changing color from being stained with tobacco juice. Though it is a known fact that turkey hunting around tobacco barns can be very productive.

the birds in my neck of the woods are more laid back. idnr biologists have confirmed that turkeys nip at the leaves of the wild weed that still grows from former hemp factories in the area. flocks of turkeys - especially jakes - often are seen just standing around in fields where its shaded, doin nothin, and studies noted that the birds' appetites seem to increase after ingesting the hemp.

this is hilarious, lmao!!! its kinda like deer or moose that have ended up eating fermented apples and then get drunk. makes you wonder what the animals will get into next. i do know that the cows get fed marijuana where my uncle works cause people plant it in their cornfields and alfalfa fields and they just chop it up with the corn or alfalfa. they called the cops once but then they had to endure 3 hours of useless questioning and the cops even asked them if it was theirs...yea, somebody is gonna report their own marijuana

Hunt for thunder chickens for months at a time...you know that's right